Element AI acquires MLDB.ai open source machine learning database

Element AI has acquired the entire team at MLDB.ai, an open source machine learning database.

The acquisition includes all staff, MLDB.ai’s complete product line, and customer base. The company will continue to be developed as an open-source project and leverage Element AI’s resources. The Pro version of MLDB.ai will be open-sourced, as will some plugins associated with the processing of LiDAR datasets.

The company said in a blog post that it will be winding down support contracts over the next six months, and replacing it with an expanded presence on free, community-based support channels.

“We know a good thing when we see it,” said Element AI CEO Jean-François Gagné. “Element is affiliated with a world-renowned network of top scientists and the best academic labs and universities; so we are always on the lookout for an opportunity to bolster our in-house capabilities. MLDB.ai with their proven track record of success and innovation in the machine learning space is a natural fit for Element AI. We’re going to do great things together for AI, our customers and the world.”

Element AI launched in November 2016 by Gagné, who founded and exited two companies in AI and operations research; Nicolas Chapados, a co-founder of ApSTAT Technologies; and Yoshua Bengio, a pioneer of deep learning technology.

Since launch, the organization, which is dedicated to helping companies embrace machine learning, has received a lot of attention. It was the first to get investment from Microsoft Ventures.

“When I first started talking to Element AI, I realized that they were already an unstoppable force in AI, and I knew we had to be part of their team” said Jeremy Barnes, founder and CEO of MLDB.ai. “They have solutions to all of the hard problems in building a sizeable and viable business in the AI space. The team couldn’t be more excited to continue their mission with the resources and talent only Element AI can provide.”

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